The Panthers hosted their fourth annual Face-off Luncheon today at the Coral Springs Marriott helping to raise thousands to help families dealing with pedriatic cancer.
Panthers Foundation executive director Rachel Brooke said that all 40 tables were sold out at $900 per table. Every player and coach attended with each one sitting at a table with the fans who donated. There was also a raffle for sports memorabilia featuing a Dan Marino signed football and a Dwyane Wade basketball etc…
GM Dale Tallon gave a short motivational speech basically committing himself to winning a Stanley Cup in South Florida. After checking out the sold-out room he joked, “We need to see that at our building as well.”
Panthers Foundation chairman Stu Siegel also said a few words. Steve Goldstein emceed.
Very classy event.
After the luncheon the Panthers were whisked away to the Homestead Speedway for a little team-building cameraderie day. It was a complete surprise to the players who got to work the pits, change tires and ride in a pace car.
“I don’t even know if Gudbranson’s got his license yet,” DeBoer joked about his 18-year-old defenseman.

HARVEY FIALKOV, a tennis-playing sportswriter who grew up in Long Island following the dynastic Islanders, is the new Panthers beat writer for the Sun Sentinel and looking forward to writing about the best professional sports team in Broward County.